


the devil and the deep blue sea

by china_shop



Category: White Collar
Genre: Episode Related, Fic, Gen, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-26
Updated: 2013-10-26
Packaged: 2017-12-30 14:07:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1019537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/china_shop/pseuds/china_shop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>VERY SPOILERY FOR 5.01 and 5.02. Rampant speculation. I just needed to get this down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the devil and the deep blue sea

Peter waited in the prison interview room, trying his best to curb his temper and his panic. The evidence against Hagen was destroyed, the appeal was going to go through, and if Peter was right— If he was right, he had one goddamned hell of a mess on his hands. But he'd get to that later. First he needed to know for sure. 

A guard opened the door and ushered Hagen inside with more deference than anyone had shown Peter while he was behind bars. 

"Agent Burke."

It would have been politic to sit across from him, but Peter couldn't bring himself to do it. He stayed leaning against the wall by the window, deliberately keeping the light behind him to obscure his expression. At least he managed to wait until the asshole was seated before he spoke. Managed to keep his voice level and dispassionate. "I understand I owe you a debt of gratitude."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Hagen's expression didn't waver. His gaze was calculating.

Peter pressed his lips together for a moment, gathering himself, then said carelessly, "You didn't help Caffrey get me out of prison?"

A smirk touched Hagen's lips. "What if I did?"

Peter grit his teeth, but Hagen was being careful, and Peter still couldn't be sure. He was going to have to bluff. "It's over. Your freedom's secure. Whatever you've got on Neal, I want it."

Hagen's voice was rich with self-satisfaction. "Whatever I've got on him stays with me."

That was it, as good as proof: Hagen was blackmailing Neal. 

Neal would never voluntarily help a murdering psychopath, so Peter had guessed as much, but Christ, he'd hoped he was wrong. _Dammit, Neal!_ But he couldn't summon up the righteous anger he needed, not for Neal. He was too consumed with fury at the man in front of him. Too despairing, sure now about the gold coins and the evidence tampering. Sure that James' confession had been a lie, and Peter's own freedom was part of that lie.

Neal had made a deal with the devil to get Peter out, and now Peter was going to have to choose: accept the sacrifice and be complicit in Neal's crime—and in Hagen's freedom, whatever he did next, whatever he stole, whoever he killed—or pour light on the whole sorry mess and put Neal and himself back behind bars, and in the process, lose everything. Everything. 

He had to think. He pushed off from the wall and glared at Hagen. "This isn't over."

"I know," said Hagen, supremely confident. He waited until Peter was at the door before he twisted the knife. "This will be over when _I_ say it's over."

 

END

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't say anything spoilery in comments, including references to next-week-ons, promos, etc. Thanks! :-)


End file.
